Stress Management Magic

Common terms used to describe the mental condition of those of us who must concentrate, meet deadlines, provide a service for people, and adjust to the demands of the work world and family life include “stress”, “burnout”, and usually “exhaustion”.

The drive for efficiency and increasing costs of providing for basic life functions, add to the pressures, as does the stress simply caused by change.

We all need help in “time management, as it is one remedy that does enable people to cope.  If you want to head towards a more healthful workday, incorporate five-minute vacations when you can.

Those who give of themselves to others, whether at work or at home, must have time for replenishing vital forces from within themselves.

If we are expected to produce ideas, designs, or detailed work, we need a renewal of our intellect and creativity.  Paper pushers, foremen, even harassed mothers, must make time capsules for coping ability and restoration during the day.

The United States Department of Labor website offers laws for specific states regarding breaks and lunch breaks.  Each state differs.

In California the law states that a ten-minute rest period is required for each four hours worked.  After five hours (if you work at least eight hours) you are to be given one-half hour for lunch.

Thankfully, many employers know the value of empowering breaks to regenerate, but even during a brief five-minute respite YOU can really use the time to relax completely.

For just five minutes, mentally (and, if possible, physically) remove yourself from the hurry of work and the demands of others. Use this time to relax completely.  Even if the time is a restroom break, rest and regenerate in whatever room you can!

Use your oxygen to relax and regenerate your body. That can be done anywhere and at any time!  Breathe now, inhaling slowly, and exhaling slowly.  Continue while reading further.

The physiology, or functioning of your organs, will respond to this plug of oxygen by resuming normal functioning, as opposed to being riddled with stress.

If you have the opportunity to get up and move around, do so.  Stretch and take a breath, as you want to invigorate your circulation.  If you are stationery, you can still regenerate.

Breathe and consciously visualize all your muscles going limp for a moment.  Relax, and breathe into your muscles.  Now loosen up by rolling your shoulders forward and then backward.  Drop your head from side to side slowly.  Scrunch fingers together and stretch them out.  Wiggle your toes and rotate your ankles.  This is a GREAT little vacation!

If you are away from the “source” of your stress for a brief time, think about something lovely; dwell on the good that is around you.  Look at a tree or a living plant; consider the diffusion of color and the design and symmetry

Take a five-minute walk outdoors if possible.  Read something funny or think of something to tickle your sense of humor.  Laugh (it’s healing).

Watch others and remember happiness is a CHOICE – no matter what!

Even one minute to breathe and move can give mental strength and invigorate the mind.  Such little “vacations” give a change of pace, needed oxygen, relief from concentration, and stimulate the circulation.

Begin today to incorporate these small “breaks” and you will find a difference in your management of stress right away.  I promise!

Well………so to speak!

Our technology-based culture has made many things easier and faster, but it’s taken a toll on the human body.  You may spend you day hunched over a computer, sitting in traffic behind a steering wheel, or crammed into “space” that seems to get smaller and smaller  (such as city streets, the market, theatres, etc).

As a direct result of this cramping of the human body people are loosing the ability to use their bodily core – the combination of shoulders, hip and torso – in a powerful and efficient manner.  Though we are sitting on our gluteus maximus for longer hours, we are not using the muscles as nature intended-propelling the hips forward regularly.

That’s because we sit on the glutes and that causes the muscles opposite to them (hip flexors) to become short and stiff.

All this sitting, rolling of the shoulders forward, and relaxing of the abdominal muscles are playing havoc with our flexibility, our strength and endurance, and YES, our stress level!

You live in your body and when it’s not being used correctly, even your intellect suffers.  So let’s do a tiny bit, right now, to activate your body and begin to feel better (and definitely less stressed out!)

First take a deep breath in through the nose quite slowly.  Hold a second or two.  Exhale through the mouth, from the bottom of the abdominal area and out.  Do this several times.

Take a moment and squeeze your left butt cheek.  Let it relax. Now squeeze your right cheek.  Let it relax.   Congrats!  That is how to activate your glutes.  You can do this throughout the day.  It’s a secret way to work those muscles

If you learn to activate and fire your glutes, constantly, you will be on your way to mobility, and body stability.

Take a few more breaths and consciously hold your abs in, straighten and drop your shoulders.  Now roll the shoulders in circles going towards your back (ten times).  Reverse.

Stand up and clasp your hands and stretch to the sky.  “Shake” hands as you bring them down.  Stretch any way it feels good, and walk around somewhere for a minute or two-down the hall and back?  Whatever you can squeeze in at the moment.

You will help your body to function optimally, and begin to manage your stress by activating your circulation and helping your body to relax.  You are in charge of you!

Create a wonderful day!

Are you worried about your heart? Do you think you might be having a heart attack, or headed that direction?  If you are fifty or older if is possible, but don’t be mislead, heart attacks can happen much younger!

Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in Americans.  Are you stressed out at work?  Worried about finances?

Family problems?  Not sleeping good?  All the stress adds up to trouble if not managed!

STRESS that is out of control and constant,  can set you  up for a fatal heart attack! This is not a rumor.  This is factual.

Hundreds of websites are dedicated to helping you recognize signs that an attack is a probability, likely to happen sometime in your future.   One sign might be heavy breathing.  Often this symptom is NOT recognized as a pre-warning symptom; for many people there are no recognizable signs until the attack.

Simply put, you need to learn everything you can about what slows the progress of cardiovascular disease. And then do everything that’s known to modern medicine to reduce your heart attack risk factors.

Your heart health can’t wait – it depends on what you do today, and from this moment forward.

A simple prevention tip is to take a low-dose aspirin every day.

Remember aspirin can cause gastrointestinal bleeding, so take aspirin with caution.  Though this is recommended for men, it can also prevent heart attacks in women – and possibly a stroke.  It is a good idea to consult with a physician before starting aspirin therapy.  (A single baby aspirin is often the aspirin of choice).

Another way to help prevent a heart attack is to keep your blood pressure under control.  Unmanaged stress can elevate your blood pressure and accelerate your heart rate to unhealthy numbers.

When you feel flushed, excited, or recognize that stress level reaching unacceptable levels, take a breath.  Slowly.  When your blood pressure is rising, if you THINK and be mindful of your oxygen intake, you can slow your heart rate and keep your blood pressure from skyrocketing.

This technique is so easy many people don’t really the value of simply “controlling” your breathing.

YOU ARE AN OXYGEN MACHINE AND WITHOUT ENOUGH OXYGEN YOUR HEART WILL DIE!

Stress causes humans to only take in shallow breaths, which in turn, doesn’t allow the brain to get enough oxygen to think rationally instead of flying off the handle.

Lower your cholesterol.  There are several ways to do this.  Exercise (which will help you drop weight, and in turn drop pounds), improve your nutrition, and for your entire body and brain health and functioning – quit smoking.

If any of these things make you think, “I can’t do it” – and you begin to stress out – use your oxygen.  When you are thinking optimally, decide what you want in this one life you have to live.

There are hundreds of websites to help you, programs like weight watchers, stress management classes (which will help you manage EVERYTHING), articles to read, yoga classes, adult community classes, even senior centers for those who qualify.

But nothing will be accomplished if you don’t make a decision and stick to it.  If you think your family genes have doomed you to obesity, heart problems, cancer, diabetes, and so forth,

THINK AGAIN!

Genes account for one one-third of what happens to your body!  The other two-thirds depends on the lifestyle you choose for yourself!  HONESTLY….so take a breath and start this very moment to avert a heart attack and so many other illnesses’ that are self-induced.

YOU CAN DO IT!

Today is the day you need to begin to REALLY learn to manage your stress!  There is NO TIME to wait.  If you want the rest of your life to become more peaceful and less stressful – begin now!

Breathe in through your nose slowly, expanding from your lower abdominals upward, hold for a few seconds.  Now exhale through your mouth slowly and empty out the carbon dioxide from the lower abs (deflating like a balloon) upward.

Read the above paragraph and do it again.  Again.

You are physically giving your mind and body more oxygen that normal breathing.  Actually when you are “stressing” about things your breathing becomes shallow.

With the additional oxygen your brain will be able to think optimally (it needs fifty percent more oxygen that the rest of your body).  Your muscles and tendons and ligaments will begin to relax instead of tightening up and ultimately causing pain.  This is the way your wonderful body works.

Repetition is the mother of all learning, so do it again.

Breathe in through your nose slowly, expanding from your lower abdominals upward, hold for a few seconds.  Now exhale through your mouth slowly and empty out the carbon dioxide from the lower abs (deflating like a balloon) upward.

Each time you take “seconds” to do this, you are REALLY beginning to manage your stress.   This point cannot be diminished in importance.  Perhaps by mentioning that humans die without oxygen after just a few minutes, you can keep in mind the importance of mindful breathing.

You know why it is important to begin now!  With statistics of   unemployment facing two million families, all the economic woes, the oil spill, earthquakes, war on several fronts and the treat of new wars, the illegal alien fiasco, more foreclosures, and all the tragic events that are taking place, along with “normal” stresses (family, deaths, weddings, childbirth, etc. etc. etc.) you plenty of reasons to stop putting off learning to manage your stress.   Don’t say you don’t have time.

Do you have time to have a nervous breakdown?  How about hospital time for the physical ailments that WILL come with out of control stress?  Do you want to scream and take your unmanaged stress responses out on your children or your mate?  Do you want to find yourself going postal?  Violence comes to many who have ignored all the signals they need help.

If you don’t help yourself you aren’t going to be any good for anybody or anything else.  Your stress will compound and your physical ailments from it will increase in increments.

Breathe in through your nose slowly, expanding from your lower abdominals upward, hold for a few seconds.  Now exhale through your mouth slowly and empty out the carbon dioxide from the lower abs (deflating like a balloon) upward.

The magic begins with your oxygen.

When you have practiced this breathing add another technique to it.  As you inhale think:  “I am pulling in needed oxygen to help me think and act calmer.”  As you exhale think: ” I am sending with my exhalation, all my worries and damaging negative thoughts into oblivion.  Try it again.

Breathe in through your nose slowly, expanding from your lower abdominals upward, hold for a few seconds.

“I am regenerating and relaxing my mind and body”

Now exhale through your mouth slowly and empty out the carbon dioxide Breathe in through your nose slowly, expanding from your lower abdominals upward, hold for a few seconds.  Now exhale through your mouth slowly and empty out the carbon dioxide.

“I release my negativity to make room for healing oxygen”

Make your affirmations short if it is easier.  Inhale and think: “Peace”.  Exhale and think: “Release”.  The thoughts that will help you most in your own scenario are those to use.

IF IT SOUNDS JUST TOO SIMPLE – IT IS!  Because this technique is simple, and can be done anywhere, it is invaluable to get in the habit of using your own oxygen to empower, relax, and regenerate YOU.  Be wise and take advantage of this gift.

You can take steps to build a better brain AND manage your stress more effectively.  Only YOU can do this!

Your brain is constantly changing in response to your life experiences.  Smart lifestyle choices and using stress management techniques help change it for the better.

It is true that your brain reaches peak mass around twenty years of age, and it’s true your brain can lose some of its cells throughout your life.   Fortunately though, recent research has led to a more positive conclusion.  It is possible to change your brain in positive ways at ANY age.

Just as you might do a weight training program to help your muscles toned and strong, you need to do “mental” and “social activities” to keep your brain from going flabby.

Actually regular physical activity is beneficial for brain fitness too, as it keeps the oxygen and blood flowing and keeps the mind stimulated.  All it takes to improve your ability to pay attention all day long is simply twenty minutes of mindful meditation (and good breathing too).

Your brain has the ability to adapt.  Adapting seems a simple idea, but has some big implications.  If brain cells are lost through normal aging, others can often pick up the slack.  The existing connections may be fine-tuned.  The cells that remain can grow new dendrites (branches) that receive messages from other cells.  The good news is that specific areas of your brain may actually grow as a result of particular experiences.

Here is the trick:  TRAIN YOUR BRAIN.  In learning to manage stress this is one of the most important things you can do.  Challenge your mind.  Begin with put a sharp edge on your ability to use your oxygen as your first line of defense against stress.

Remember that when you are beginning to feel the consequences of unchecked stress there will be signs.  You may sweat, you will feel your shoulder muscles tighten, you head may begin to throb and your temper may feel like it’s going to unreel out of control.

What you may not be aware of is that when stress attacks, humans begin to breathe shallow breaths, hence, not providing the needed oxygen for the entire body and mind.  For a lack of oxygen, your brain will not think intellectually at highest level

(it actually needs fifty percent more than the rest of the body);

your shoulders will tighten and perhaps your neck feels stiff because they are in need of oxygen.  The throbbing head needs oxygen, and your flaring temper and self-control need oxygen.  If you cut off your oxygen supply you will REACT and not RESPOND.

Begin to train your mind, the moment a stressful scenario peeks, to take in several mindful breaths and YOU WILL BE REWARDED.  You will also be creating those brain cell extensions that will help your brain to adapt to the circumstance.

Provider, father, friend, husband or partner -are just a few of the demands made on men today.

Men, you  have a world of demands this life puts upon you every day too!  There is no doubt about that.  Today’s economy has played hell with hard working middle class men.

It has touched all levels of income, but for the average American, is proving to be fatal (for some), and for others , debilitating temporarily.  There is a quiet strength and regenerating ability within men, often lost in the shuffle of providing the almighty dollar, but it is there.

For the blue-collar  (another catch phrase) workers, the times have never been as difficult since the Great Depression.  The white-collar worker has been designated to be office workers, professionals, managerial, and administrative positions.  Many of those workers typically wear shirts with white collars.

Those working in factories or doing any type of manual labor are dubbed blue-collar workers, as when this catch phrase was born, they wore blue collars (at least they were in past days).

With two million people out of work currently, men are dealing with, not only being the wage earners, but many have been laid off and are now trying to figure out how to survive.

So, men, take a breath!  It has never been more important for you to learn something so readily available, and so lifesaving.

When you are ready to blow a gasket and shoot arrows at someone who may NOT really be the target – TAKE A BREATH!

You body will respond by calming down and getting enough oxygen to the brain to think and respond rather than blowup and react.  Please if you haven’t used your oxygen in a mindful way – learn now.  It might save your job, your marriage, or any number of relationships.  THIS IS THE WAY YOUR OXYGEN MACHINE WORKS.

These are stressful times.  Now is the time you need to use your oxygen for your oxygen machine.  Realize, too, that no matter how bleak things look right now, the old saying “this too shall pass” is correct.

For those who have been laid off work keep in mind this has nothing to do with you.  It has to do with the money god and those people in charge.  Life is so not fair right now, but here is a tip about women that might help.

If you handle your “life” as it is, with a calmer demeanor and more positive hopeful thoughts, your woman will almost always stand with you and hope for better times.  Though most of the world feel American women are spoiled, I have known many women over the years that would deal with sacrificing material possessions if necessary, without a whimper, if their man is willing to talk about problems.  Be gentle with your children as they are the innocents – no matter how irritating you may feel when you are tired and down.

Don’t give up, and don’t quit looking, as you never know what may be just around the corner.  Hope will show on your face.  Keep in mind that you can only do the best that you can do, and accept it.  If you have to suck it up and take less money, or tighten the budget strings, talk with your partner, there are ways to do this with less sting if you work together.

Don’t fall into the “bottle” or increase your smoking because of these hard times.  These things will only exacerbate the problems. Use your oxygen.

You’ve done nothing wrong and no one is questioning your   manhood, that is not in question, but if you give up hope, your future will look much bleaker and hard times will increase.

So chin up, and load up on the “free” stuff – your oxygen supply.  When stress enters humans become shallow breathers, thereby cutting off oxygen to the body and mind when it is needed the most.

Inhale slowly through the nose.  Pull in a positive thought such as “it will be okay”.  Exhale through the mouth and push out negativity-watch it, in your mind flying out your mouth and into oblivion.

Do this whenever you feel you are edging towards panic or out of control stress.

Before reading, take a slow breath as you look at the beauty of the flowers.  This is for you, so do it again!

“A man works from sun to sun, but a woman’s work is never done”

This was a catch phrase early in the 1900’s.  Women were worn to a “frazzle” (another early catch phrase); slaves to their families and homes, in a most exhausting manner.

Many of the things we take for granted – indoor toilet facilities, running water, refrigeration, vacuum cleaners, central heat and air conditioning, permanent press clothing -  are a sampling of what made women’s work more than a challenge

DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND.  Today’s woman has just as many demands but they are different in nature.  A woman who works outside the home is challenged, particularly if the woman is married and has children too.

The percentage of men who are “stay at home” daddies is one-percent.  Not a big number, though with two million folks out of work, the statistics are changing rapidly.

The one-percent pertains to those who find switching positions voluntarily with a wife, and being the person who primarily is responsible for the children’s care and welfare.

Now let’s switch back to the woman.  If you are a woman who ALSO works outside the home, you probably leave work without the fresh edge you felt as you went to work in the morning.

You open the front door to children grasping at you, the dog yelping and wiggling its tail, the pressure of knowing you still have to fix dinner, facing a husband who may have had a bad day, and  probably tuck the children into bed.

You might plop into a chair and just wish you could slip into something comfy and sit back and have a glass of wine with your favorite heart sensitive music playing softly in stereo.

Get over it!  Reality will smack you in the face – so in order for you to survive the pressure and demands you face, here are a few suggestions.

BREATHE!  It is the first defense against out of control rage….

Before you step out of your vehicle, or the bus, use your oxygen to tame the stallion and calm yourself down. It WORKS!

However, IF YOU NEVER WORK IT, IT NEVER WORKS! Give it a try.  You can start twenty minutes from home and just calmly take in some good oxygen (knowing it absolutely will reenergize you).  When you exhale, visualize all that nasty stuff that has settled in your craw (stomach, throat, etc.) and let it go!  Doesn’t help.  Doesn’t resolve anything.  Let it go.

Now, as a prelude to an evening of horror and the possibility of yelling and adverse do a bit of preparation for the sake of YOU and your loved ones!

First of all, assimilate this:  NOTHING IN THE NEXT 24 hours is going to change – except, perhaps, your attitude!  It’s not what happens to you, it is your RESPONSE.

Remember that the children and animals are just that…children, with immature actions, and animals, who simply want your love and attention.  As far as husbands – well, good or bad, you chose him – so take a breath and deal with the moment with equal amounts of intellect and emotion.

Actually let the intellect take charge and be calm as you lift the “pre-supper” snacks of carrots and celery (bugs bunny sandwiches) from the refrigerator.

Let the dog out in the yard, after saying hello, and remember, the dog is a member of the family, not the boss.

If you took a few moments early on, the children’s bed clothing will be already placed on the bed.  A DESIGNATED bedtime each night will add to your sanity.  Do not let the children maneuver you into saying up later than YOU decide.  It doesn’t matter what the other kids are doing!

If your honey is of a mind to pitch in – Hallelujah!  If not, go forth will wind in your sails.  Love your man (or partner) and don’t critique or put them down.  They have their trials too.  Remember you are supposed to be MATES.  Make it so.

Women are sturdy and resilient creatures.  You can do whatever it is you put your mind to do.

Get organized, get creative, and be SURE to take REAL rest and relaxation for yourself.  Make time-it is of the essence in the peace of your life and your survival.  Use your intellect to set the rules (the home has always been a place where women set the tone) – and some things – NEVER CHANGE.  Now do it!

All entries had wonderful pieces of good advice for beginning stress management. Choosing winners was a challenge and very difficult, as they were to me, all winners!  Thanks everyone.

Today is gives me great pleasure to share with you the entries winning second and third place:

Second place winner:  Valerie Yancy

Because we are three-part beings, it is most important to remember to keep all three parts in check as body, mind, and spirit all effect each other. The key is to practice the following top three habits BEFORE stress has set in.  Preventive maintenance is a lot easier than trying to recover from a stressful breakdown.

1. A person will be successful at managing stress if they are well- prepared physically by getting enough rest, drinking plenty of water, and holding correct posture.  When stress begins to creep in, monitor the body’s posture and relax tense muscles in the neck, ease shoulders and lower extremities, release a furrowed brow by massaging temples, and breathe deeply from the diaphragm.

2. Keeping your thoughts positive is an obvious tip; but I want to dig deeper into what may be the root of all stress; isolation or helplessness.  Ask for help!  Stress stems from the feeling of having to ”go at it alone”.  When we solicit help, a friend sharing the load makes all the difference in the most difficult task and in turn will keep our thoughts positive.

3. Prayer/meditation or visualization of the end goal can help you get and stay spiritually centered and ward off stress.  Staying aware and calling upon your inner HELP can ignite the flow of supernatural wisdom throughout the mind and body to bring about success in managing most any situation.

Angel709

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Third place winner:  Freddy Doyle

1.  Deep breathing is the quickest and most effective stress management strategy. It is the simplest and most effective way to begin relaxation. The simple act of taking in a great quantity of air—filling your lungs and holding it—will immediately release tension in your back and neck muscles, clear your head, and bring a sense of peace. This technique brought awareness of my ability to empower myself and was instrumental in by being able disengage from stresses before doing more damage to my mind and body.

2.   When you feel yourself getting stressed out  (pay attention and don’t ignore it and you will know) just stop what you are doing and walk away.  You don’t have to go far away, but just far enough to divert your own attention from the problem for a minute or so.  Walk to the restroom, stand and stretch, do something to give you enough time to recover a bit.  Take a few breaths.

3.  Find what is triggering your stresses.  It is family stress, emotional stress, health, environmental, or chemical stress?  If you are able to reduce the strength of the stress by changing something, do it.  If traffic is driving you insane, play a calm and beautiful CD and it will calm you from within. If you are bothered by noise and can’t think, buy earplugs!  These are just a few examples. If there is no easy fix then practice empowering yourself instantly with your breathing.

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Tip:  If you plan to go out in the sun, don’t forget your sunscreen.  Sunglasses with UV protection are a must!  Have fun.

You want to manage your stress more effectively, because you wouldn’t be reading this website if you didn’t!  So let’s get personal.

Answer these questions honestly:

1.  Have you ever practiced deep breathing?

2. Have you recently allowed yourself ten minutes to sit or lie

down, put your feet up, and close your eyes to rest.

3.  Have you ever walked away (for a few minutes) from the computer, or a job you are attempting, when it seems there isn’t a resolve to be found?

4. Have you recently taken leisurely walk simply to see and hear nature?

5.  Have you told someone you love him or her, or at least let them know really enjoy their presence?

6.  Have you smiled at a stranger, and even if they didn’t smile back, stayed happy you at least offered the gesture of congeniality to someone.

7.  Have you genuinely been kind to someone lately?

If you’ve answered NO to any of these questions, then you haven’t even begun REALISTIC stress management techniques in daily living!  All of the above will help guide you on the path of a calmer and more peaceful life, and these are only a few of the actions you can incorporate into your life relatively easy.

None of these things take much time, but they will begin to attend to your Spirit and create new and calmer brain cell impressions.  Your burdens will start to lighten because you will have CHANGED YOUR ATTITUDE, and your attitude in responding to life is what it is all about!  With a good attitude, you make better choices, and with better choices your life improves.

If you are a sour drone, negative, listless, and sure life will never get better, then you had better make some changes soon.  You are the representative of your life.  You have let life use and abuse you and you have given in to it.  You have succumbed to the pressure. How clever you are aiming towards your own demise.

You can still have it all, but often refuse to see it because it isn’t “YOUR perfect dream” of how life should be.  Dreamers who work hard and incorporate what seems the “less important things” (such as a kindness towards someone) – will find whatever dream they are living is better than they expected in many ways.

Most humans try as hard as they can to do the right thing, and still, life doesn’t turn out as expected. That’s life.

So right now begin to turn things around.  There is this moment-the only moment guaranteed.  Use it wisely.

Take a breath.  Don’t let life overwhelm you – overcome the “challenges” with ATTITUDE – the right attitude.

Take a breath slowly.  Exhale.  Do it again. Remember you always have the choice of your attitude.  When you choose to be positive you will find life flowing calmer, and you responding with more intellect and charisma.  You are the leader of YOU.

Stop to smell the roses.

The problem is simply that the majority (believe it!) of those seeking help with management techniques are only “mouthing” their desire to help themselves. Everyone says that they want to manage stress more effectively, but the percentage of people who actually practice techniques is negligible.

Yes!  It is true.   This is a reminder, you that you only have one life to live on this planet and one body to live in, and your stress level will affect it every single day of your life! If you don’t learn to manage it – you will pay the piper!  (Example:  if you don’t pay for services rendered, it will cost you in the long run.)  Hence, if you don’t pay your mind and body, the service of management of “civilization stresses”, you will pay the piper…. the death of what you want to save!  (Read up on the extended “pay the piper” example, if you so choose) – but personally, I think you should take a breath, now!

“I don’t have time.”

“Can’t fit it into my schedule.”

In a poll taken in 2006, one-third say they are living with extreme stress and nearly half (49 percent) believe that their stress has increased over the past five year period.  Read the year again, it is 2010, and those numbers have risen exponentially since then.

The rise is obesity and diabetes has only added to the numbers of those with increased stress levels.

The American Psychological Association, which conducted many surveys, revealed stress is taking a toll many people, in all age ranges, and is contributing to health problems, poor relationships and lost productivity at work.

Money and work continue as the leading causes of stress for three quarters of Americans, a dramatic increase over the past few years.  The survey also found that the housing crisis is having an effect on many, with over half of Americans (51 percent) citing rent or mortgage costs as sources of stress this year.

Over half of all Americans report that stress has a negative impact on both their personal and professional lives.  What they may not know is it SERIOUSLY affects health and mind!

So what can you REALLY do?  First of all take a deep and slow breath….remember life can end abruptly without warning….things change without notice.  ENJOY what is before you this moment, and if it isn’t what you want – CHANGE IT!
If you really want to begin, COME BACK TOMORROW for probably your first relaxation on line!   Take another breath and exhale all the negative and impossible thoughts for the night!